Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications to the Coronavirus workforce fund for schools that were made to cover support staff absences were granted in each month since the inception of that fund.

The department has had one round of claims to the COVID-19 workforce fund to date, covering the costs of staff absences experienced between 1 November and 31 December 2020. The claims window closed on 31 March 2021. We received claims from 974 schools and made payments to 902 schools by the end of June 2021.

All schools that met the conditions set out in the guidance were paid. Claims were received at school level and could cover both teacher and support staff absences experienced across the eligibility period.

The COVID-19 workforce fund has been reintroduced to cover the costs of staff absences experienced between 22 November 2021 and 18 February 2022.

The claims portal for this period will open in the spring.